Awareness
by tectrices
Summary: //Rayne// River wonders why she has never noticed Jayne before. Written for Valentine's Challenge.
1. Notice You

**Story:** Awareness  
**Chapter:** Notice You (1/3)  
**Author:** ILB (an_ardent_rain)  
**Character(s)/Pairing:** River/Jayne  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine!

-**Author Notes:** Written for my Rayne Valentine's Challenge as a gift for Alsunwunderland. This is chapter one of three. Enjoy, everyone!

* * *

**_Awareness_**

* * *

A volley of bullets chased them into the little, run-down shack.

"They still comin'?"

River emptied her gun into the crowd of men rushing towards them. Six fell, instantly dead, and the others scattered for cover. She ducked back into the shack, her empty gun at her side. "Yes."

Jayne cursed, slamming back against the thin, dirty wall. "Damn. An' we're out o' all ruttin' ammo. Weren't expectin' no trouble; they caught us with our pants down."

"Chance of safe escape is slim." She peered out the wooden doorway, ducking quickly back in when two bullets whizzed towards her. "They grow impatient. Will not wait for long. We must exit and – "

"You think they ain't already circlin'? We best hide 'til Mal gets here to bail our asses out. I c'n knife one or two o' them, an' you got them crazy killer-woman skills, but with this many there ain't no way we're gettin' out o' this whole."

"You do not wish to fight?" She scowled at him, tossing her head in irritation.

"Hell, girl, ain't got nothin' to do with _wantin'_ to fight. It's jus' 'bout wantin' to be able to fight again sometime. Ta ma de, you ain't got a lick o' sense, do ya?"

There was shouting from outside and River knew that the men would soon be coming in after them. "You overestimate them." Jayne frowned deeply, but she cut him off before he could protest. "But, ape-man, you are also correct. They have deduced our ammunitions have depleted and they will soon launch an attack. We must find better cover."

"Uh… right." Jayne turned and looked around; the building had only three small rooms, though – if the other two were the same as the first – they were all filled with old, broken clutter. "So we – "

"Hey!"

Jayne and River exchanged a nervous look. The heard the rattle of a chain behind them and both knew that the gang of men was trying to come in through the back.

"We know you're in there!" one man called loudly. "So you best come out now an' we won't blow your ruttin' brains out."

"They could 'a' already got away, Tom," another voice said. "There's trees right behind here; what if they already – "

"Bi zui! And if'n you're so gorram worried 'bout them bein' in those woods, why don't you go check 'em out yourself?"

"W-well, I don't know, maybe I – "

"Go! You think that was just a suggestion?"

The other voice didn't respond and the two inside assumed he'd gone off into the forest to search for them. The door rattled again. "I'm 'bout three seconds from stoppin' this bein' nice go se an' jus' kickin' this gorram door in. Y'all best come out!"

With a finger over his lips, Jayne moved stealthily over to his left. He gestured over towards an open doorway; there were no windows in that room. It was the safest place to hide. They moved as quietly as they could, heavy boots making almost no noise as they stepped across the hard, dirt floor.

But before they'd more than stepped into the dark, cramped room, they heard the loud crack of splintering wood and the bang of the door as it fell in pieces to the ground.

Jayne's anxiety spiked and with a cold rush of concern he grabbed River and dragged her like a ragdoll down behind a stack of crates.

"Shh!" he whispered, covering her mouth with his hand. "Quiet. An' don't move."

River frowned behind his hand. Footsteps were drawing closer; Jayne backed further up against the wall, pulling River back with him until she was pressed up tight against his chest. The arm that had been pulling her snaked its way around her waist and he pulled her back just that much closer.

They sat there for several long-drawn out seconds, waiting for the man to either find them or leave. River's irritation waned the longer they sat there; she'd been _furious_ with his behavior, with the way he'd taken over total control of the situation and treated her as nothing more than some dainty little thing to be tossed about. But the more time, seconds passing like minutes there in the dark, she spent with her back pressed against his chest, caged by two powerful arms, surrounded by his warm, masculine energy…

Her irritation was gone. And her focus was quickly shifting from the man searching for them to the man with his body molded to hers.

It was _Jayne_. She knew this; she could smell the familiar scent of the flaky, gray detergent they all used on their clothes, could smell the spicy hints of sweat that always clung to him after a heavy bout of exercise or a tough job. But any individual traits paled, forgotten when compared to the dark, heady pulse of warm, virile _maleness_ all around her. It was intoxicating. And all she could think about was how good it would feel, how _good_ it would feel if… If _what_ she did not know. She did not know what she suddenly wanted. But she knew that she wanted it.

The footsteps were even closer and she could feel the _thump, thump_ of Jayne's heart behind her. He shifted his body to the left a little, even further out of sight. It made her whole body heat up and she could hardly keep her breath low and even. There was a man behind her and she was a woman; she had never felt so feminine in all her life, had never been so aware before, had never realized that Jayne was so very, very male. Her lower body felt heavy and her thighs were weighted down with some strange new feeling.

The footsteps were even nearer and through her fog she could hear the distant, distant thoughts of their hunter and knew that he'd reached their room at last.

"Okay," Jayne whispered, pulling her head further back towards his. She could feel his breath and the light, light brush of his goatee against her skin. It made something inside her _throb_. He was moving his lips more than talking, trying to reach her mind, his thoughts loud and directed. "Soon as he's near, I'm stabbin' him. Want you t'grab his gun an' finish him off."

She nodded, only barely able to comprehend what he was saying. She wondered if it would be too inappropriate to reach out with her tongue and just taste the hand covering her mouth.

As the man drew closer, Jayne's whole body seized tight, humming with adrenaline. River's head swam and she felt totally under his control. If he asked her to do _anything_ she would; and she wanted him to ask, to demand that burning, erotic something that she didn't dare put a name to.

It struck her suddenly that she was painfully - _painfully_ - aroused; and even with the shock of knowing that Jayne had caused that feeling, there was such latent expectation of pleasure there that she couldn't help but wish the feeling could be released.

The man had reached their hiding spot. Jayne's hand moved and gently – and so reluctantly – she eased away from him, her knee brushing the inside of his thigh. She would have given both her arms – or maybe Simon's legs - for it to have been able to stay there.

The next second the man was peering around; before his eyes had even transmitted the sight of them to his brain River's leg swung out and caught the bottom of his jaw. Jayne had only just drawn his knife when she'd spun out and kicked him hard in the abdomen, knocking him to a wheezing mass on the ground. She grabbed the gun from his hand and shot him in the temple.

Slowly, Jayne took a step forward. River stood there above the dead man, panting, her eyes alight with some wild fire.

"Hot damn," he said, letting out a low whistle. "Knew you had it in you, girl, but I sure weren't expectin' to see it." He grinned, bending down to snatch the man's other gun from its holster. River stared unashamedly.

"Spoils of war?"

Jayne nodded, looking discerningly at the new addition to his already large collection. "Hell yeah. This ain't bad – ain't bad at all." He checked the safety and then stuck the gun behind him into the waist of his pants. "A'ight, ni zi, your new piece loaded?"

"Yes." She stared down at the ground, refusing to look up at him lest he reignite the feelings that had just simmered down into only vague wisps of warmth threaded through her. "With our new fangs his compatriots will not stand a chance." She felt a flinch briefly at the thought of killing the man, but if she had not then he would have killed them.

"Tha's right. Let's go make that hun dan's boys wish they never even looked at us."

They stormed back out the front, guns blazing. The men were no match for them and as soon as the dust settled Jayne and River stood proudly on the field of battle, all their enemies dispatched – either dead or bleeding.

"Gorram," Jayne said, slipping his shades over his eyes. He was still high on adrenaline, radiating a warm, full feeling at the safe escape and the completion of a job. All they needed was to go pick up the goods from the men's headquarters a few blocks away. The merc grinned. "Pretty good ruttin' day to be alive."

Looking at the sun gleaming on his warm, brown skin, handsome features highlighted in the light, River couldn't help but agree.

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Thanks for reading, everyone! I hope you enjoyed it. And don't forget to review - feedback is always greatly appreciated!


	2. Notice Me

**Story:** Awareness  
**Chapter:** Notice Me (2/3)  
**Author:** ILB (an_ardent_rain)  
**Character(s)/Pairing:** River/Jayne  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine!

-**Author Notes:** Written for my Rayne Valentine's Challenge as a gift for Alsunwunderland. This is chapter two of three. Enjoy, everyone!

* * *

**_Awareness_**

* * *

As soon as Jayne and River had returned from their mission, she'd run into her bunk and locked the hatch.

It wasn't unusual for her to retreat to her bunk for hours at a time, but before there had always seemed to be a _reason_.

"Jayne, what the hell'd you do to our poor albatross?"

"Wha… I didn't do nothin', Mal! Ya got no cause to go blamin' me." Jayne dropped the small crate of meds they'd pilfered into a gaping doctor's arms. "She weren't actin' weird out there – maybe one o' y'all was thinkin' somethin' that got 'er upset."

Mal crossed his arms over his chest, giving his merc a look of disbelief. "Jayne…"

"Gorrammit, Mal, I ain't lyin'!" He looked away with a huff, heavy arms folded in front of him. "An' maybe she ain't even upset. Maybe she's jus' tired."

"Tired?" Simon frowned incredulously, looking around helplessly for somewhere to set the crate. "I-I… No. No, why would she run off like that? Something obviously made – "

"Look, if you want so ruttin' bad to find out what's wrong, then just go an' ask her! An' stop accusin' me!" Jayne shook his head angrily. Sparing the gathered crew one last glare, Jayne turned on his heavy boot-heel and stomped out to his bunk.

The captain blinked. "You didn't have to make him angry, doc,"he said.

Simon rolled his eyes. "Oh, of course – forgive me. That exchange and Jayne's subsequent anger were both entirely my fault." He sighed and looked down to the cargo still in his arms. "I'm going to go put this in the infirmary. And then go check on River. Let…" He sighed again, his face scrunched up slightly with concern. "Let me know if she comes out. Please."

They all – besides, of course, Jayne – tried to convince her to come out, but she stayed in her bunk until breakfast the next morning. Mal had flown them off the planet and temporarily taken over the duties of pilot. It wasn't like River to shirk her responsibilities, so he had suspicions that something was more than a little wrong with his albatross.

And, in fact, River's behavior underwent a significant change. She never went out of her way to spend time with Jayne, but previously she'd had no real problem being around him. But after their mission she'd gone out of her way to avoid even being in the same room with him. And everyone, bar Jayne, had noticed.

"Doc, what's up with your sister?"

Simon sighed. "I don't know, Mal. She… She's assured me that Jayne didn't do anything. This behavior is odd, though, I know; she's never been… skittish, or nervous before. Wh-why would she avoid him?"

"Well the facts that he's mean an' don't smell too rosy when he's been liftin' spring to mind. Ain't all that bright either."

Simon shot him a quick look of annoyance. "She's over looked all that up to this point. So I don't think that… that any of Jayne's _inherent_ qualities could have suddenly affected her like that. It… Perhaps his thought processes have changed – a-and it's his mind that's bothering her."

Mal shrugged. "Don't know. If it is in his head, he hadn't been actin' like anything's wrong. You ask the li'l witch about it?"

"No, but… I-I will. The next time I see her, I'll ask - "

"Ask what, ge ge?" River inquired, walking in. Her brother and captain were seated in the little common area, talking intently - about her.

Simon cleared his throat. "W-well... River, I've noticed a change in your behavior lately. You... Well, it's Jayne. You've... been avoiding him. And while I have no real problem with this, it's... it's unusual. Since..." He lowered his eyes and cleared his throat again, delicately. "Well since your brain has begun to mend you haven't expressed any animosity towards him; things have been fine. B-but suddenly you're avoiding him. We've all noticed and - well, I wouldn't say I'm concerned, but... I just want to make sure nothing's wrong."

River frowned. "I am fine, Simon. Jayne is... large. His presence is invasive, strong. I do not wish to be around it. Will I be forced to stop this new practice?"

Simon shook his head thoughtfully. "No, I - "

"If I need you for a job, albatross, then you better be willin' to work with him. Otherwise I don't give a good gorram if you spend time with him 'r not." Mal laughed. "Actually, don't think Jayne's even noticed you been avoidin' him."

River crossed her arms and pouted. "Ape-man's lack of perception comes as no surprise." She let out a soft huff of air. "He does not notice me."

"Hey doc!" Jayne came ambling in, looking vaguely around. He spotted Simon and grunted, gesturing towards the doorway with a tilt of his head. "Kaylee's lookin' for you. Asked me to send you down t'the engine room." Jayne grinned lasciviously. "An' she sure was in a tizzy waitin' for you."

"Not everything is about sex!" River told him shrilly. "Perhaps Kaylee wants only to speak with him."

Jayne snorted in amusement. "Don't think so, crazy. _Ev'rything's_ 'bout sex, an' I know Kaylee." He shook his head. "An' that girl's got an itch that just don't go away. Prob'ly wears the poor doc here out."

"I-I..." Simon's face turned red and he fidgeted uncomfortably. "N-no, Kaylee and I... We - "

"You do not have to defend yourself to _him_, ge ge." River looked up haughtily. "He is not worth your time."

Jayne glowered at her. "I ain't talkin' to you, girl."

River rolled her eyes. "What a revelation."

"It's true," Mal said, nodding sagely. "You don't pay much attention to 'er. She's been avoidin' you since y'all went out on that job 'bout two weeks out."

Jayne looked a little surprised. "She has? Oh." The merc shrugged. "Ain't even noticed."

River shrunk down a little, her arms crossed tightly across her small torso. With a nod to her brother and Mal, she left, unwilling to spend another moment in Jayne's company. He was beginning to drive her even crazier. She'd never before thought of Jayne as anything more than a rather big, permanent nuisance. But since she'd discovered that his presence was so intoxicating, that just seeing the warm bulk of his body could affect her... Being around him was too much to take. Those large, muscle-bound arms would move and flex and her whole body would tingle with the thought of having those arms around her. Just close proximity to him made her heart flutter and something warm and dark unfurl in her lower belly.

But he didn't seem to even notice she was there.

She hadn't asked to be so attracted to him; previously, she'd thought he was nothing special. But suddenly she really _saw_ him. He was handsome, strong - and, even though she'd been introduced only to the appealing physical aspects, the more she thought about him the more redeeming qualities she found in his personality. It was infuriating to find him so attractive, so magnetic - and then by ignored, cast aside, for him to not even notice if she was around or not.

At first, she'd been resigned to suffer in silence, to wait out her irrational feelings until they passed. But there seemed to be no end in sight. And if that was the case, then there was only one viable option: drive Jayne as wild as he drove her.

Everyone was glad to see River's behavior return to normal. And if suddenly her shorts were shorter and her shirts were tighter, no one complained. No one seemed to notice.

But Jayne did.

It wasn't any sort of epiphany; he only barely gave her any thought. But just that little spark of notice was enough.

And it was at dinner one night that she finally got the acknowledgement she'd been craving.

She'd worn a thin, lacy pink top, cut low with straps that were hardly wider than string. Jayne had noticed and every time she'd bent over his eyes had followed.

_'Damn,'_ he thought, taking a large bite salty protein. _'Crazy ain't lookin' too bad there. Shirt's 'bout tight as skin. An' don't look like she's wearin' a bra, neither.'_

River let herself smile a bit devilishly behind her glass.

The rest of the table had started an involved conversation about something River couldn't be bothered to care about. Jayne, never all that one for talk when there was food around, just ate. River shifted a little, tossing her hair behind her back so that her neck and shoulders were exposed.

_'Gorram, she's pale. Bet the girl never spent more'n ten minutes out in any sort o' sun. Real smooth lookin', though.'_ River shivered as his mind catalogued the various delights smooth, feminine skin could provide. _'Bet 'er legs look just as good. 'R better. Girl's got a set, tha's fer sure.'_

River shot up out of her seat. "I am finished with my meal," she said quickly, picking up her plate and stepping away from the table. "It was an exquisite dining experience, Zoe. Xie xie."

"No trouble, River," Zoe said, smiling bemusedly. "Glad you enjoyed it."

River walked over to the sink and set her dishes in, hoping desperately to feel the prickle of Jayne's eyes all along the length of her legs. She did, and holding back a giggle she congratulated herself on her success. She had no delusions about her own beauty, but just knowing that Jayne would look at her, would give her even a moment of attention made her head swim with pleasure.

The next few days were filled with similar incidents; any opening she could find she took and she wasn't above Reading him to find just what would make the greatest possible reaction. Dancing was the strongest weapon in her arsenal.

She spun, her skirts twirling around her thighs. Jayne was working on a letter to his mother, sitting on the bench he used for lifting weights. Every so often he'd look up, his mind swirling with half-formed thoughts about her. And they were quickly turned away from innocent curiosity to warm, erotic fantasy.

River saw herself in his mind, dancing around in something blue and sheer. But her dancing quickly turned from strong, formal steps to something much more sinuous: a dance meant to arouse, her small hands sliding all across her body.

River's breath quickened as his fantasy progressed. Jayne showed no outward signs; he sat there, chewing on his pencil as he stared down at the paper. Occasionally his eyes would flicker over to her, but other than that he seemed completely unfazed.

The next moment she saw herself naked, her limbs tangled up with his. She stopped dancing, unable to take the sensation, so pure and strong, straight from his mind. She whimpered and Jayne looked up.

"Hey," he said, a little worried. "What the hell's wrong?" He stood, taking in her flushed skin, her fluttering eyelids, the tilt of her head. "You..." He cleared his throat. "You okay?"

"I..." She whimpered again, resting her fingers gently on her temple. "Was... Reading you. The... I saw. What you wanted to do to me."

Jayne gaped at her, his blue eyes wide. Quickly, he shook his head, trying to physically clear his mind. He cleared his throat. "Girl, that weren't... Well, I didn't mean nothin' by that. Y'just... Well, you been wearin' all them real tiny shorts, showing your legs off, an' then you were dancin', all... flexible-like." He frowned, looking away from her. "Y'shouldn't be in my head."

River blinked. "Was showing off for you. Wanted to inspire such feelings." She crossed her arms, tapping gently on her elbow. "Had enough of not being noticed."

"What? What?! Girl, you tellin' me that - "

"Yes." She took a step closer to him. "Have recently become aware of your masculine appeal. I was... affected by your mere presence. But man-called-Jayne did not see the girl." She looked away from him. "I had to remedy that."

Jayne took a deep breath, processing what River had said the best he could. "Moonbrain. You're tellin' me that... You got all suddenly 'tracted to me. An' you wanted me to think on you like that. You been doin' all you been doin' just to make me take some notice?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Oh." Jayne's brows raised slightly. "_Oh_." He coughed, looking uncomfortably around the hold. His mind was whirling like a top, spinning and thinking - wondering just how to proceed. Finally, after a long, pregnant silence he said, "Well, River, I noticed. What the fuck d'ya want from me now?"

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Thanks for reading, everyone! I hope you enjoyed it. And don't forget to review - feedback is always greatly appreciated! Next chapter's the smutty stuff, just so you know.


	3. Take No Notice

**Story:** Awareness  
**Chapter:** Take No Notice (3/3)  
**Author:** ILB (an_ardent_rain)  
**Character(s)/Pairing:** River/Jayne  
**Rating:** R  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine!

-**Author Notes:** Written for my Rayne Valentine's Challenge as a gift for Alsunwunderland. This is the final chapter. Enjoy, everyone!

* * *

**_Awareness_**

* * *

River sat on her bed, absently drawing a rough sketch of a cross-section of _Serenity_. Someone knocked loudly on the hatch. She put down her pencil and sighed. "What?" she called.

"Lemme in," Jayne said quickly, banging once more.

River smiled to herself and jumped up to pull down the ladder. "Hello," she said brightly, watching as he climbed hurriedly into her bunk. "What are you – "

"Hush up for a sec." He closed the hatch and locked it, then turned around to stare at her. With a decisive nod he met her eyes and said, "Y'know what day it is?"

River blinked a few times. "Does the date hold some significance?"

He looked at her as though she was stupid. "Thought all girl's knew 'bout this." He grunted and gave a little nod. "Valentine's Day."

"All right." Though inwardly thrilled with his presence there, River couldn't help but wonder about Jayne's motives for coming into her bunk. "Then I wish you a happy Valentine's Day."

"Girl…" Jayne chuckled, his face breaking into a handsome grin. "It's the holiday for lovin'."

"I am aware of this, man-called-Jayne." Something was getting tight in her throat. "But… ?"

He smirked at her, his eyes sparkling, and River's heart started quick palpitations. "Thought y'might like a little… _present_."

"A present?" She pushed her hair behind her ear and gazed up at him nervously. "Thank you. The girl has always been fond of presents."

He licked his lips. River followed the movement of his tongue with quick, eager eyes. "I been thinkin' long and hard 'bout what you said. 'Bout how you been wantin' me to notice you."

She took the few steps backward and sat down on the edge of her bed. "Contemplation is always useful."

"Yeah, sure. Well I been… _contemplatin'_ real hard, an' I think I got a real good plan formulated. Y'see, I still think you're crazy. An' you bein' so young makes me a little uncomf'table."

River frowned. "Not so young," she informed him quickly, before he could continue. "Turned twenty three months ago."

Jayne shook his head, grinning. "That might be true, moonbrain, but, uh… I _ain't_ twenty. Ain't even thirty anymore."

"I am aware of this," River said stubbornly, her chin high. "But I do not care. And I am not crazy." At his incredulous look she relented and said, "Not _very_ crazy."

"Right. Well…" He scratched his cheek thoughtfully. "See, I ain't a good man. You got some feelin' for me, an' you're pretty gorram sexy n'matter how young'n'crazy you are. So…" he shrugged. "'M not really above takin' advantage o' that. Don't mean I feel real good about it, but… If it means I get some sexin' I don't really care 'bout much else."

River beamed up at him. "You think I am sexy!"

Jayne sighed. "Girl, that wasn't the part o' that you was s'posed to pay attention to. 'M tryin' to give you a chance to change your mind."

She gave him a blank look. "Change my mind in regards to what? You have not yet made an offer."

"Well yeah," he said, "but you know what I'm gonna say."

"Yes." River smiled wickedly. "You wish to do very nasty things to me. To give the girl the best rutting night of her whole entire life. To formally introduce your very worthy man-parts to all my girl-parts. What about such an offer could the girl – could any girl – say no to?"

Jayne took a sure step forward. His grin set her whole body humming. "Yeah? What're ya sayin'? That y'think _I'm_ sexy? That maybe y'think these man-parts o' mine might be real, _real_ worth seein'?"

"Yes," River breathed. "That is precisely what I am saying."

"Oh. Well in that case..." He walked forward until he was right in front of her. With a dark, expectant look, he sank down onto his knees, his big hands stroking her thighs through her skirt. River swallowed, staring into his eyes. "Don't think this is gonna change my 'pinion of you," he warned her. "This is just 'bout bodies; ain't got nothin' to do with anything else."

River nodded quickly, willing to agree to almost any terms to capture her prey. "That is acceptable."

"Good." He didn't look away as his hands went higher. Hesitantly, River let her hands rest casually on his broad shoulders. She shifted marginally closer. "You ain't nervous, are you?"

"No. Not nervous." His hands had lifted the hem of her skirt from just beneath her knees and were moving surely against her bare, soft skin. "This is... what I want."

He leaned in closer, his nose by her ear. "If'n you can't tell," he said slowly, "I want it to."

She knew what was coming next and she braced herself for the first touch of his mouth to her neck. He laughed against her skin, his breath moist and warm. She shivered. He leaned even closer, lips a finger's width away from her. She couldn't stand it; his whole being pulsed warmth and something inside her was climbing higher and higher. Finally he kissed her just beneath her ear and she moaned lowly at the exquisite feeling.

"Oh, ya like that, huh?" He kissed her again, and then again, his mouth moving in a slow line towards her shoulder. His hands were back up to her thighs and his thumbs were moving in thrillingly slow circles on their soft inner skin. "Think you're gonna like this even more."

His teeth scraped tantalizingly against her neck, his tongue lapping at her skin in short, frequent strokes.

River's head was in complete fog, her thoughts disconnected. Her hands clamped on his shoulders like little vices, nails digging into the skin. Jayne growled in hot pleasure, one hand snaking behind her and pulling her closer. His touch was electrifying and her head spun with the force of all the feeling. She knew that soon things would move far, far forward and the very idea sent shivers down her spine.

Until Simon yelled down, "River? River, are you there?"

She tensed immediately, her eyes snapping open.

"Shh," Jayne whispered soothingly. He ran a hand up and down her arm. "Jus' tell him you're busy," he whispered, "an' he'll go away." He did not stop his assault on her neck.

"I am here, Simon," she called back. "But I am already occupied."

"Oh, well..." She heard him try to open the hatch. "I just wanted to check on you. Kaylee and I are going out when we land and we were wondering if you'd like to come."

Jayne tightened his grip on her back. "Tell 'im you'll still be busy."

"Your offer is kind, Simon, but I do not anticipate the completion of my... current activity."

His concern grew slightly. "Are you all right, River?"

Jayne lowered her down onto the bed, lifting the hem of her shirt and peppering her stomach with soft kisses. The hair on his face was scratchy and rough and the contrast to tender softness of his mouth felt positively delicious. She held back a moan. "I am fine, Simon, I assure you. Just..." She gasped as Jayne palmed her breasts in firm, heavy hands. "F-fine."

"Your breathing is heavy, mei mei. Are you certain that you're all right?"

"I appreciate the concern, ge ge, but... Ahh!" Jayne had pulled her shirt over her head; he took a nipple between his teeth and River couldn't help but cry out at the pulses of white-hot feeling that shot through her body. "Y-yes." Jayne moved back to her stomach, tracing her navel before leaning back to pay attention to a leg. "I am certain I am... fine. All right. Fine."

Jayne chuckled against her knee. "Better be careful," he said quietly, his smile evident in his voice. "Your brother might start gettin' the wrong idea." He ran one hand up to her hip, shamelessly trying to get a reaction. "An' we surely don't want that."

River growled. "Hun dan."

"Wha-what? River, what did you call me?"

"Nothing, Simon!" she said, trying not to groan. Jayne pushed her skirt up around her waist. She panted expectantly as he grinned wickedly at her from between her legs. He hooked two fingers in the waistband of her underwear and then tugged them down to her ankles. River kicked them off, her chest heaving as she tried hard to keep calm.

"I'm only concerned, River. I'm your brother and your doctor - it's my job. What are you doing that's so strenuous? You sound out of breath."

In one agonizingly slow stroke, Jayne ran his tongue all the way from her knee to the soft indention where thigh turned to hip: wet, wet, _wet_, a streak of soft, slick satin up the length of her left thigh.

Her breath rattled in her throat. "Tell him you're stretchin' or somethin' 'bout all that dance go se."

"I am st-stretching."

Simon's disbelief was sharp, piercing through the clouds of heated lust all around her. "_Stretching_?"

Jayne sucked on her hip, guiding one hand between her legs to rub her clit.

"Yes, ge ge," she said, after a moment of silence to compose herself, "stretching." She had one hand in Jayne's hair, her other on a breast. She let out a loud, strangled moan as Jayne's mouth replaced his hand; the man could do things with his tongue that made her whole body _throb_ with rich, heady feeling. Her legs pulled him closer and she grabbed his hair, holding her to him as he quickly learned just what to do to driver her wild.

Simon was starting to get very uncomfortable. "R-river..." His voice held a distint note of pleading. "I think... If you're sure you're all right, then m-maybe I better go." He cleared his throat awkwardly. River didn't respond, and after a stretch of silence, he said "I'm only concerned, mei mei, and I..." He sighed. "River, please tell me that you're really only stretching. B-because I know what it sounds like, and - "

"Yes. _Yes!_" She let out a sob of pleasure, her body tightening as something inside her broke apart. "I am only..." She took a few quick, shallow breaths. Jayne grinned, rubbing gentle circles on the legs that had somehow wound up on his shoulders. Tentatively, she smiled back at him. "Stretching."

"...okay." It would have been prudent of him just to leave, but Simon had a bad habit of sticking to something even when he shouldn't. "I - "

"Simon, please go away."

"I will, River, but - "

Jayne sighed. "Doc, your precious li'l mei mei told ya to go the hell away. Now you gonna go or am I gonna have to drag your pi gu away from us?"

"_Jayne_?" Simon squawked in pure, unadulterated shock. "River, tell me right rutting now why the _hell_ Jayne is in your bunk."

He continued with his tirade, threatening the merc with the usual medical un-pleasantries.

"He don't ever shut up, does he?"

River shook her head, watching with muted pleasure as Jayne undressed. He yanked her skirt off and climbed up over her body. With a warm sigh - still ignoring Simon - River kissed the corner of Jayne's mouth. It may have only been about bodies, no emotions - on his part - involved. But she knew, just as she knew that Simon wouldn't be able to look her in the eye for a week, as she knew the language the dinosaurs in the cockpit spoke, that eventually: not the next time, or the time after that - but eventually. Jayne would come to care for her, too.

Simon had started lecturing her on responsibility and the horrors of sexually transmitted diseases. Happily, she continued to ignore him. There were other, more naked things to concentrate on.

"Jayne?"

He looked up from his campaign across her body. "What?"

She wrapped her legs around him, bringing his large body closer. The solid, visceral weight of him felt perfect settled against her. Gently brushing a hand through his hair, she smiled. Things were far, far from over. "This has been a very good Valentine's Day."

He laughed, his face breaking into a mirthful, happy grin. "The best, bao bei." He gently bit the tip of her nose, his hands sliding around her, bringing the part of her that _ached_ for him right up to those man-parts she'd wondered so much about. He smiled, stroking her cheek with the pad of his thumb. His eyes fastened on her mouth. In a moment of shining, star-spun silence, he pushed slowly inside her. "The very best."

* * *

That's the end! I hope you enjoyed the story. Reviews are welcome and always appreciated!


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